EU Plans Gradual Limits on Children’s Social Media Access

Ursula von der Leyen announced the European Union will introduce phased restrictions on children's access to social media, following recommendations from an expert panel. The EU has been considering limiting access after calls from countries like Greece and France, but now favors a gradual approach informed by Australia’s experience with a blanket ban, which proved easily circumvented.

The panel advised no screen time for babies and toddlers, supervised use for ages three to twelve, and evolving autonomous use with safety features for teenagers. Von der Leyen emphasized the need for platforms to prove their services are safe and indicated a legal proposal will follow in the second half of the year, with details expected in September.

EU lawmakers remain divided on the appropriate age, some favor 15 instead of 13, and negotiations between member states will be necessary to harmonize the approach across 27 countries. The EU is also preparing new laws to combat addictive design features on digital platforms.